AL-THEFIRI’S ABSENCE LEAVES MERC2 DOOR WIDE OPEN AT QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY
2024 Qatar International Rally
FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round 1
For immediate release
Monday, January 29th, 2024
AL-THEFIRI’S ABSENCE LEAVES MERC2 DOOR
WIDE OPEN AT QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY
LUSAIL (Qatar): Meshari Al-Thefiri’s decision not to tackle this weekend’s Qatar International Rally has thrown the door wide open for several of his rivals to steal a march and take full advantage in a quest for the 2024 MERC2 title.
Among the 23 teams set to take part in the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) laid on by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) are 11 crews aiming for glory in the ‘production class’ category for Group NR4 cars such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and X and the Subaru WRX-STi.
The Kuwaiti and his Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari have dominated the category in recent seasons and secured the FIA MERC2 Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ titles together for five of the last six seasons.
In 2022, the category became a battle ground between two Jordanian crews and Isaa Abu Jamous and Emad Juma narrowly edged out Ihab Al-Shurafa and Yousef Juma to claim the honours. That success aside, we go back as far as 2016 – when Lebanon’s Rodolphe Asmar secured the title – to see when Al-Thefiri wasn’t the dominant force in the category.
This weekend, five Jordanian drivers, a Qatari, an Omani, a Kuwaiti, a Lebanese and an Indian driver will battle it out for MERC2 honours alongside co-drivers from Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Cyprus and India.
In 2023, Shadi Shaban finished third in the MERC2 Drivers’ Championship behind Al-Thefiri and Youssef Al-Dhafiri and the Jordanian teams up with fellow countryman Samer Issa to try and improve on his position this season in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. His best result in 2023 was third in the category at his home event last May.
Lebanon’s Ahmad Khaled finished fourth in 2023 after three consistent finishes with co-driver Samer Sfeir and he returns to the production class again in 2024.
Abu Jamous, the 2022 champion, teams up with Saqer Abu Jamous and again faces a tussle with his rivals from two years ago, Al-Shurafa and Yousef Juma. Fellow countryman Shaker Jweihan finished fifth in last year’s MERC2 championship and arrives in Doha with Lebanese co-driver Carlos Hanna. Husam Salim and Nancy Al-Majali round off the entries from the Hashemite Kingdom.
The State of Kuwait is represented by Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Thamer Al-Mutairi, Zakariya Al-Aamri and Mohammed Al-Mazroui represent the Sultanate of Oman and the Indian duo of Fabid Ahmer and Milen Cherian will tackle the event for the first time in a Subaru. Mohammed Al-Atteya represents the host nation with experienced Cypriot co-driver Savvos Laos along with Rashid Al-Muhannadi and Omani co-driver Taha Al-Zadjali.
Competitors must register for the 2024 regional rally championship before the event begins to be eligible for points in each of the MERC categories.
Last year, Al-Thefiri romped to a second successive MERC2 win in Qatar and finished seventh overall behind six Rally2 and R5 cars. Al-Shurafa and Shadi Shaban picked up points for finishing third and fourth of the registered contenders.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), competitors carry out administration checks and reconnaissance registration in the QMMF offices at the Lusail Sports Arena before checking out the revised desert route for the weekend’s event on Wednesday.
The 2024 Qatar International Rally gets underway from Lusail Boulevard at 19.00hrs on Thursday (February 1st) evening, before competitors tackle an exciting opening super special stage at the LCSC Karting Academy from 20.00hrs.
Two cars will start out on the 1.09km asphalt course at the same time and complete two passes and two laps against each other for a total stage distance of 4.36km.
Ends
For further media information: Neil Perkins, Media Relations Officer, UK Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: [email protected].
Sportity App – password QIR2024
